The Calendar
by heartlandiansoisle
Summary: Casey tries to get rid of Tim's old calendar. Set around 9x13. ONE-SHOT.


When Casey and Tim returned to Big River after their dinner at Heartland, Casey only had one thing on her mind. She made her way to the kitchen - more precisely to Tim's fridge.

"What? Are you hungry?" Tim asked, following Casey inside the house putting their jackets aside. "We just ate."

Tim had been awkward at dinner, so he had not paid attention to Casey's plate. Had she even eaten? Maybe she had lost her appetite after Janice had joined them.

"Nope. I'm finally getting rid of this, once and for all", Casey said, removing the magnet that held a calendar on the fridge door. The fact that even Janice, Tim's ex from few years ago, knew about this calendar and had made fun of it, just gave Casey one more reason to want to get rid of it.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Tim cried as he hurried to stop her. He pressed his hand against the surface, locking the calendar in its place, starring Casey, almost feeling offended she would even suggest such a thing. "It stays on the fridge door, okay?"

"What for?" Casey asked, amused how Tim always made fun of Jack for being a stick in the mud, but here he was, doing exactly the same thing. "It's dated back to 2007, for crying out loud!"

"I like the pictures", Tim responded giving her the same excuse he had back at the dinner table. She was still was not entirely sold on his dedication to the pictures, so she countered.

"Yeah, so you say. But honestly, Tim..." Casey replied, shaking her head. "Do you stare at them all day long? No you don't, but if the house burned down, you act as if this calendar would be the thing you would save from the fire!" She looked him in the eyes as she gave time her opinion. She had never taken Tim for someone who would be sentimental over bunch of random pictures. "You really think I am going to believe it's just pictures?"

"You are right, it's not just the pictures..." Tim finally admitted. Casey listened, giving him a chance to explain. "It's the year that changed my life completely. The calendar has sentimental value."

"What happened in 2007?" Casey asked, wondering what was so important about that year. She hadn't been in Tim's life back then and was trying to build a proper timeline of his life to get an understanding why he was the way he was.

"Marion died... and I got my girls back..." replied Tim, avoiding eye contact. He was choked up, so much so that he let his hand drop from the hold he had on the calendar and turned his back on Casey so she couldn't see the tears that were stinging his eyes.

Casey sighed, realizing now what was going on. She felt horrible for bringing this all up, not that she had done it on purpose, of course. Knowing from experience how bad a spouse's death hurt, she couldn't blame him for keeping something to remember Marion by.

"Tim, I'm sorry..." Casey said, putting the calendar back before walking up behind him and wrapping him in a loving embrace. "I didn't know it was 2007... The calendar can stay on the door, not that it was even my call to make to begin with..." The more she thought about this from Tim's point of view, the more she regretted letting herself trying to take over like this.

Tim nodded, still not saying anything. He knew it was silly to hold onto the calendar, because he was part of the family again and he was seeing Casey now, so the past was in the past.

"Is that where your mind still is...?" Casey asked carefully. "Because if I've learned anything from Hank's death, it's that life goes on, things get easier and death isn't everything there is. I'm not saying you should forget Marion, just that maybe it's not the thing you should remember her by. And the girls, you've come such a long way, based on everything you've told me."

She pressed her cheek against his shoulder, giving him time to think.

"So what are you saying...?" Tim asked quietly, not sure what to make her statement.

"Why don't you try to remember the good times you had with her, not just her death? 2007 might have been a big year, something that changed your life, but your life is still changing if you only stop to realize how much all these more... mundane things can change it too. I guess what I am trying to say is don't get too hung up on the past", Casey replied sweetly. "You should think about getting a new calendar and fill it with new memories. Katie's first day at kindergarten, the day you started giving Georgie riding lessons... Lou and Amy's birthdays... Our anniversary..." she suggested, making Tim turn around.

He looked her in the eyes and wrapped his arms around her, processing what Casey had said to him. She had a point; this year had been big for him too, just in a different way. He was getting better at this grandfather thing, the relationship with his girls was more stable now, his rodeo school business was booming and more importantly, he was in love.

"Yeah, okay", Tim nodded giving her a kiss. "I'll get a new calendar tomorrow and start putting things down - happier things."

"That's more like it", Casey said, planting another kiss on his lips. "How about we start making some memories now...? A reason to keep the calendar from 2015 for years..."

"I like the way you think, McMurtry", Tim replied, now more relaxed, as he scooped her up, making her laugh as he started carrying her in his arms to the sofa. He wanted to forget the sadness and make room for cuddling.

Almost as if it were on cue the calendar slipped out from under the magnet crashing to the floor, making room for the new one Tim would replace it with tomorrow.


End file.
